Mesoraco homer in 11th gives Reds 6-4 win at Texas

Sunday

Jun 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM

AP

ARLINGTON - Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning and the Cincinnati Reds snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the AL West-leading Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

Mesoraco was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts before his 380-foot homer into the left-field seats off Kyle McClellan (0-1), which came right after Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch to start the 11th.

Cincinnati had lost six of seven and was coming off consecutive shutout losses before Shin-Soo Choo homered on the first pitch of the game.

J.J. Hoover (1-5) got the last two outs in the 10th, even after a walk and a hit. Aroldis Chapman worked the 11th for his 20th save in 23 chances.

The Reds had also lost five straight interleague games.

Reds starter Mike Leake allowed only three hits and one earned run in seven innings. But Cincinnati had three errors in the third when Texas scored three unearned runs.

The Rangers and Reds both played their 81st game, reaching the midpoint of the regular season. Texas (47-34) has a half-game lead over Oakland while the Reds (46-35) are in third place in the NL Central, a season-high 41/2 games behind division-leading Pittsburgh.

With runners at first and third for Texas in the 10th, Adrian Beltre had an inning-ending foul popout caught by catcher Mesoraco.

A.J. Pierzynski drew a leadoff walk in the 11th, but Mitch Moreland then grounded into a double play.

After going 1 for 19 his previous six games, Choo hit the first pitch into the visitors bullpen in left-center field. His fifth leadoff homer this season, and 10th of his career, snapped a stretch of 20 consecutive scoreless innings by Texas pitchers that included a 4-0 victory in the series opener Friday night.

Choo walked twice and had three hits, including a leadoff single in the ninth before he was caught stealing to end that inning.

Texas rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch struck out seven, but was gone after allowing three consecutive hits to start the fifth. Choo led off with a single and scored on a double by Zack Cozart, who came home on Xaiver Paul's single off reliever Ross Wolf for a 4-3 Reds lead.

The Rangers had only one hit before consecutive doubles by Elvis Andrus and Nelson Cruz to start the sixth for a 4-all tie.

Cincinnati made three errors, two on fielder's choice plays that produced runs, as Texas scored three unearned runs for a 3-2 lead in the third.

Two of the errors were by All-Star first baseman Joey Votto, the first when he was unable to pick up the ball after a grounder hit off the heel of his glove. Leonys Martin, the No. 9 hitter, followed with a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games before consecutive fielder's choice plays.

Votto made a nifty backhanded stop of Ian Kinsler's grounder, but he threw wide of home unsuccessful trying to get a runner. The throwing error allowed other runners to advance to second and third before Elvis Andrus hit a RBI grounder to shortstop Cozart.

With Kinsler also running, Cozart's wide throw forced third baseman Jack Hannahan to reach away from the bag for the third Cincinnati error in four batters. Kinsler stopped momentarily before jumping onto the bag and avoiding the tag. Cruz then had a sacrifice fly.

The Reds got an unearned run in the top of the third when Derrick Robinson reached on an error by second baseman Jurickson Profar and scored on a bloop single by Brandon Phillips.

NOTES: Votto has 10 errors in 80 games this season. He had six in 109 games last year. ... Tepesch is winless in eight starts since his last victory May 12 at Houston. He won his major league debut April 9 against Tampa Bay, but is winless in seven starts at Rangers Ballpark since. ... Profar, the 20-year-old rookie, had two spectacular fielding plays at shortstop the previous night. He misplayed Robinson's grounder. ... Phillips didn't have a hit his previous 18 at-bats with a runner in scoring position before his hit in the third.

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